Batman Arkham ( Volume 1 ) : The Last Knight of Gotham City
by RedRobin 1999
Summary: The first volume in my epic continuation to the hit video-game BATMAN : ARKHAM CITY is here ! Set months after Protocol 10 , Batman must deal with the return of the Joker , while preventing his family of costumed vigilantes to fall appart !


Hey guys ! I´m new here , and this is my first post here too ! This is the first " collected edition " of a long story that was supposed to be Arkham 3 . I began writing this in 2012 and I hope you like it ! Please share your thoughts !

BATMAN

THE LAST KNIGHT OF GOTHAM CITY

Written by Red Robin 1999

Prologue :

Narrator: It was one cold winter night when Batman came out of Arkham City, an old super-prison , carrying the body of The Joker.  
BASED ON DC COMICS CHARACTERS

Narrator: After that, the body was taken to the G.C.P.D. building s morgue.

RED ROBIN 1999 - WRITER

Narrator: When the autopsy was about to begin, the room was flooded with gas.

BATMAN : THE LAST KNIGHT OF GOTHAM CITY

Narrator: And when the doctors woke up, the body was gone.

Chapter One : " Die laughing or don´t die at all ! "

Gotham City. The town that never sleeps, at least for me. Well, not only for me, also for the psychos and mobsters that run the city when the good citizens sleep.  
I'm on the trail of some second rate drug dealer. He's already killed 7 young girls with the drugs he sells. The man's called Mickey, and he's about to go down.  
Batman finds Mickey selling drug to a teen.  
Batman: Mickey Smith... your crimes took with them 7 teens.  
Mickey: Whadda...?!  
Batman takes down Mickey. However, the teen had already consumed the drug.  
Batman. NO! What have you done?!  
Teen: H-he said he'd kill my girlfriend if I didn't make the world... a b-better place...  
Batman: What are you talking about?  
Teen:... T-the devil looked me in the eyes... and he laughed... HAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!  
The teen dies.

I know which drug causes this effect...  
Batman:... Joker toxin.  
Alfred { via com. with the Batcave }: I'm afraid it is, Sir.  
Batman: Someone wants us to think that Joker's legacy is eternal.  
Alfred: That, unless it already is.  
Batman: It isn't!  
Alfred:...my god...  
Batman: What is it, Alfred?  
Alfred. Sir, Mickey was also selling the drug in the form of ciggars!  
Batman: What?!  
Alfred: And he was using the Marvoro brand!  
Batman: That's the ones Gordon smokes! I have to find him!  
Alfred: Would you like me to call the others for help, Master Bruce?  
Batman: No, we're fine.

Batman heads towards the GCPD building.

I've always feared that something bad may happen to us. That some of our enemies came back with an unbeatable plan... no... that'll never happen. We'll always be prepared. I'LL always be prepared.

Batman gets to the GCPD.  
Gordon is lighting up a ciggar.  
Batman: GORDON! NO!

Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor:  
Alfred hears a window breaking up in Bruce's bedroom. A stone was trown from outside and it had a note attatched to it. It said "HA HA".

While Alfred leaves, a figure wanders in the cave.  
Alfred returns and the Batcomputer shows a newspaper article: JOKER'S DEAD.  
Figure. Hehehe... it is time, old friend!  
The man stabs Alfred in the stomach with a nail-cutter.  
Joker: BELIVE ME, OLD MAN! THIS IS A KILLING JOKE! Wanna hear it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Chapter Two : " The Joke´s on you ! "

MANY YEARS AGO:  
CRIME ALLY:  
Cop: Gordon, is that Wayne, Jr'? Ya know, Thomas and Martha's boy?  
Gordon: He is, Ramirez. He looks very sad. I'm going to see if he needs anything.  
Cop: Bah, don't worry, Gordon. His butler is on his way to fetch him. Ya hear that? He's got a butler!  
Gordon: Don't be so despicable, Ramirez. He just lost his parents!  
Cop: Whatever...

Gordon goes with young Bruce.

Gordon: Hey, there, boy. Are you OK? Do you need anything?  
Bruce: Why did he do it, Officer ? Why?  
Gordon: I don't know, son. It's this city, there's something wroong with it. Oh, and boy, call me Jim.

Back to the present:  
Gordon smoked Joker toxin contained in the Cigar.  
Batman: NO!  
Gordon: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHELPPPP MMMEEEE BAAAATMAAAAHAHAHAHAHAH!  
Gordon falls and starts shaking.  
Batman: NO! Don't leave me, Jim! The city needs you!  
Bullock enters.  
Bullock: Wha-?! What the hell are you doing, Bat-freak!?  
Batman: call an ambulance! NOW!

Later, Gordon is in intensive treatments.  
Batman is on the Hospital's roof. Nightwing comes jumping

NIghtwing: Batman! Thanks god I found you!  
Batman: Nightwing? What happened?  
Nightwing: It's Alfred, Bruce. He's gone!  
Batman: no...!

Later, they get to the cave.  
There's a lot of blood around the Bat-computer.

Batman: This is Alfred''s blood. He's badly injured.  
Nightwing: So what are we gonna do? Have you told it to the rest of the family?  
Batman: No, I won't.  
Nightwing: How can you say that?!  
Batman: Whoever did this...  
Nightwing:... whoever did this, he leave us a message.  
Nightwing picks up a Joker card.  
Batman: It can't be... he's dead.  
Nightwing: Yes, we all know, but: How many times has he cheated death already?

Nightwing leaves and gives Batman the card. There's a note on it: " Go find me where I 'died' ".

Batman goes to the Monarch Theater.  
on the screen, there is the title of the horrror movie " Return of the Living Dead".

Batman: Show up...  
Joker appears behind Batman.  
Joker: Greetings, old friend! Ya miss me?  
Batman: No, because you're not The Joker. Who are you? Where's Pennyworth?  
Joker: Oohh, Batman... how I've missed you. But now I'm back and I'm ready for Round 2! HAHAHAHA!  
Batman jumps to takedown Joker, but he shoots Batz with another version of his REC gadget.  
Joker: Stay down, for I have something to tell you! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! I KNOW WHO ORACLE IS, WHO ROBIN IS AND WHO NIGHTWING IS! I know everything about you, guys! So get ready for the worst days of your lives! HAHAHAHAHAA! The joke's on you!

Chapter 3 : " Death of the Family "

Look at him. Look him in the eyes and say he doesn't know. He can't know. When you lie, your pupils contract, your pulse speeds up and you start sweating little drops of H2o. But he's not doing none of those. He can't know... if he knows, he would have already attacked our civilian IDs. Unless... he just didn't want to do so... until now...

Joker: That's right, Batzy! I know who you are! And now it is time for my payback after all these years rotting in Arkham, dying in Arkham City!  
Batman: Stop this! You're not The Joker! He's dead!  
Joker: And so was Little Red Riding Hood! By the way, it will be funny to torture and kill him TWICE! HAHAHAHAHA!  
From the outside, a lot of cops are surrounding the Theatre.  
Bullock: JOKER! SURRENDER NOW. ONE WARNING.  
Joker: Come on, fatboy! Show me what ya got!  
Bullock: You heard the madman, let's call in the cavalry.  
A lot of SWAT officers burst into the Theatre.  
Batman: NO! GO AWAY! IT'S A TRAP!  
The Monarch Theatre explodes.

Later, Bruce wakes up in the Batcave. He's surrounded by the whole family.  
Robin: Is it true? Does he know who we are?  
Bruce: No. Because Joker's dead.  
Red Hood: Yeah well, so was I.  
Bruce: This is different.  
Oracle: If... if he knows then when he shoot me...  
Bruce: Barbara, he doesn't know! He's not even alive!  
Nightwing: Oh yeah? Then how do you explain this?  
Nightwing shows Bruce another Joker card found next to Jason's Robin costume.  
Bruce: Well... he... I...  
Robin: Tell us! It doesn't matter who he really is, just tell us if he knows!  
Bruce: No... he doesn't.  
Nightwing: Oh, really? Then why did he come after Alfred first?  
There's silence in the room  
Oracle: He came after Alfred? And you didn't tell us?  
Bruce: It was to protect you...  
Red Hood: FINE! I'm done with all this! First you hide things from us and then you're not sure if that psycotic piece of crap knows who we are.  
Robin: Yeah, me too. Bye, Bruce. Good luck with this.  
They all leave.  
Bruce: NO! This is exactly what he wants! DAMMIT!  
Bruce sits on the floor, crying.

Some time after that, Batman goes out on patroll.  
Jason's right. I'm not even sure who he is and what he wants. I don't know if I can protect them from this. However, I have to find him. I have to find that man and ake sure he's locked up in New Arkham forever.  
And I know where I can start looking for him...

DC COMICS PRESENTS NIGHTWING AND THE JOKER IN:  
BIRD HUNTING  
Written by Red Robin 1999

Nightwing is gliding across the city.  
What if Bruce's not right? What if Joker knows who we are? That would be the end for Dick Grayson. Wha-?

Nightwing is interrupted by someone screaming his name.  
Joker: Hey, Dickhead! How ya doing up there!  
Nightwing: Joker, as crazy and as funny as ever.  
Nightwing prepares to air-kick Joker, but when he does, Joker's face slides off his head.  
Nightwing:What the-?!  
Joker: Hehehe. Do you think that coming back from the dead is easy, circus boy?  
Nightwing: So so do know.  
Joker: Of course I know! I've known your identities since our early encounters!  
Nightwing: But why haven't you done anything with our ID in all these years?!  
Joker: Because if I would've done that, you would be outlaws right now. Eventually they would toss you in Arkham, and I'd lost my favorite bats and brids.  
Nightwing : This ends NOW, Joker.  
Joker I don't think so, bird-boy!  
The Joker shoots Nightwing with a grappling hook. A poster unfolds off the hook and it is a Flying Graysons poster.  
Joker: Nighty-night, Grayson! Hahahahahahahahaha!  
Everthing goes black...

Chapter 4 : " Hunter/Prey "

Batman bursts through a window.  
Batman: WHERE IS HE?!  
Poison Ivy: What the hell are you talking about?!  
Batman: About this new Joker imposter.  
Poison Ivy: I don't know. Never heard of him. But now that we're alone here, and it is cold... kiss me...  
Batman: I'm not in mood for games, Ivy. Don't worry, you won't be alone anymore, the police is on their way to stay with you.

Batman heads to Catwoman's apartment  
Batman: Where is he Selina?! Where's the new Joker?!  
Selina: No idea, Batman.

Batman: Where is he Harvey?!  
Harvey: Don't know, Batz, but now you'll go to hell...  
Harvey puts up a gun but Batman takes him down.

I don't know where to find him... he just vanishes like a ghost. Howver, I have two more criminals to interrogate...

New Arkham:  
Batman: Do you know, Harley? Have you heard the news?  
Harley: That Nightwing died? Yes, look at the TV behind you.  
Batman turns. The TV says "NIGHTWING DEAD". There, Nightwing had a hole in the stomach and was smileing.  
Batman: no... GOD DAMMIT! NO! WHERE HARLEY?! WHERE'S THE JOKER?!  
Harley: I'm sorry, Batman. Harley is not here now. You can talk with me... with Harleen...  
Batman: Harleen, I know that recent events affected you { HQR DLC } but people are dying. Do you know anything about this new Joker?  
Harley: New? Why new? Maybe he's laughing at you right now, living and brething. He's laughing at you like thissssss HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH...!  
Harley's cell is flooded with Joker gas and Harley dies.  
Batman: EVACUATE THE BUILDING! NOW!  
Joker: Don't worry Batman, no one's dying here...  
A guard shoots Batman from behind.  
Joker:... But this is my kingdom... and you're the invader...

Batman puts on a gas mask and punches Joker.

Joker: Ouugh! Get him, boys!  
The gurads start to fight with Batman. Aaron Cash kicks him.  
Cash: S-sorry, Batman... he threatened me and my family, everyone's family... he's always watching us... I'm sorry... so sorry...  
Batman: I'm sorry too, Cash. You're a good man. All of you.  
Batman knocks them all.  
Batman: ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!?  
Joker:No... not yet... this is just the beginning, Batman.  
Joker vanishes.  
Batman leaves New Arkham and gets into the Bat-cycle.  
This was it. The last straw. JOKER MUST DIE.  
Batman gets to the cave.  
Bruce: Is it true, Tim? Is Dick dead?  
Tim: Yes. He's dead because of you! You shoulde've told us that he knew who we are. Now, no one is safe from that monster. That's why I wanted to say this to you privately. I quit.  
Batman: Tim, that won't change...  
Tim: I quit. I can't longer go on like this, Bruce.  
Tim leaves the Batcave, but this time, forever.

DC COMICS PRESENTS ROBIN AND THE JOKER IN:  
GOOD OL' TIMES...  
Written by Red Robin 1999

Following the events of the story above, Tim gets home.  
Tim: Mom? Dad? I'm home from Brenard's house!  
No one answers  
Tim: Mom? Dad?  
Tim notices that there's blood on the floor.  
Tim follows the blood trail and gets to his parents' bedroom. Tim opens the door.  
Tim: NO!  
In the bed, Tim's Dad is dead with a smile on his face and Joker is lying nex to his Mother's body.  
Joker: HELLo, Kiddo! It's your loving Uncle J!  
Tim: I... I will kill you for this, Joker!  
Joker. Oh, no. I don't think so. Say goodbye, Robin! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA!  
Joker blows up Tim's house.  
Joker: Heh! For the good ol' times when I killed Robins! Hahahahahah!

Chapter 5 : " The Last Dinner "

He doesn't know. He CAN'T know. I'm sure he's lying. He's got to be. He's not even who he say he is. But he has Alfred. He left two cards inside the cave. And now, he killed Dick. And now Tim is alone out there... the man could be stalking him, like he's stalking all of us... and his life is in risk right now...

Batman: DAMMIT!

Batman runs towards the Batmobile.

Batman: Barbara, leave everything you're doing right now and go to the Bat-bunker. NOW!

Barbara: Bruce?! What the hell is going on!?

Batman: JUST GO! Jason will meet you there, I'll call him now.

Batman jumps into the Batmobile. However, there's a Joker card next to a window.

Batman: Oh n...

The car explodes

Meanwhile, at the old Arkham City site, in the A.C.E. Chemicals buidling, Joker and all the Arkham Guards have taken over the place.

Guard: B-before you leave, Mr. Joker, can you let us go? We g-gave you the keys to this palce.

Joker: Oh, I'd love to, my friend, but who will protect me from Batman when he comes from me? Superman? Green Lantern? Harley? Oh right, she's dead. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!

Joker leaves.

NOTE: The following scene takes place after the back-up story.

Batman made it out of the car just in time.

Batman: Barbara? Jason? Talk to me.

Batman only hears the Friends TV series song, "I'll be there for you".

Batman: You sick WHAM, i'm gonna make sure no one else's life is ruined by you.

Batman heads to Arkham City. There, he's confronted by the guards.

Batman: Where's Joker?

Guard: Where he belongs to...

The guards start shooting at Batman.

Batman: I'm sorry for this...

Batman takes down all the guards.

The guard said Joker is where Joker is...

Batman:... Arkham Asylum...

Batman goes to old Arkham Asylum.

In the Arkham Mansion, he finds Joker helding a dinner with all of Gotham's rouges.

Joker: Oh! Here he is! Our guest of honour! Welcome, Bats! Welcome to the last dinner! HAHAHAHAHAHHA!

DC COMICS PRESENTS ORACLE, RED HOOD AND THE JOKER IN:  
OLD WOUNDS  
Written by Red Robin 1999  
My name is Barbara Gordon  
My name is Jason Todd  
And my life was destroyed by the Joker  
And my life was destroyed by the Joker

Jason: So, you also got the message?  
Barbara: Yes. I'm afraid of what that madman will do next.  
Jason: Don't worry, Babs, bring him here and I'll smash his insides.  
Suddenly, Joker appaers from the shadows.  
Joker: I don't think so, Toddy!  
Jason: You son of a -!  
Jason gets a gun and points at Joker.  
Barbara: NO!  
She gets the gun from Jason's hand.  
Joker: Ooohhh, Barbie, you're so sweet! I paralyzed you, tortured your father, I have just put him in intensive treatments and I killed his wife and you still save my good ol' life! HA!  
Jason: See what you've just done?! You let this psyco live! And he's right, after he's done to you, to ALL of us, and you let him live? How many lives will he take in the next three hours because of you?!  
Joker: Two. Two lives. Yours.  
Jason: Don't you dare...  
Joker: Of course I dare... after all, I have already killed you!  
Jason: ENOUGH! I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE. RIGHT NOW!  
Joker: "Don't you dare..." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!  
Joker throws Barbara a purpule flower  
Joker: For you, my dear!  
Barbara: -cough!- I-it had... J-Joker toxin! Run, Jason... run awahahahahahahhahahahahahahaa!  
Joker: See, while planning all this crazy stuff, I came up a new Joker toxin. A one wich gives me the power to control the inhalator's mind! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! Barbie, be a good doll and kill this annoying and angry bird for once and for all!  
Barbara shoots at Jason's spine.  
Joker: Now, make Uncle.J and kill yourself!  
Barbara kills herself.  
Joker: I'm done with these bats and birds. Now, time to finish Bat-dad.

Chapter 6 :

I remember that day almost as good as I remember the night my parents died. The day of the Arkham riots.

Batman: JOKER!

Joker: Hi,Bats! Me and my friends were waiting for you to come.

Batman: Before we start this, I want you to tell me, are you The Joker? Do you really know who we are?

Joker: Yessssss, it's good ol' Uncle.J . And I do know who you are.

Batman: But how? You're suppoused to be dead?

Joker: Oh, Bats, I have powerful friends... friends who know everything about us.

Batman: Who? Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assasins?

Joker: Oh, no, they're just scrwany raccoons compared to them...

Batman: To who?

Joker: ... To the Owls.

Batman:...

Joker: "Beware The Court of Owls...", please, it's a classic!

Batman: The Court of Owls is a myth, Joker.

Joker: And so were you. Please, my friends, would you leave us alone for some hours? Hehe.

All the inmates are infected with the mind control-Joker toxin.

Batman punches Joker.

Joker: So foward, Batman? HAHAHAHA!

Batman:WHERE'S ALFRED?!

Joker: HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA!

Batman: ANSWER ME!

Batman punches Joker so hard, that his neck snaps.

Batman: No...

Joker fixes his neck

Joker: Oh, Batman, I forgot to tell ya... NOW I CAN'T DIE!

Batman: That means I'll have to keep you here forever.

Joker: Hahaha, with which bombs, Bats?

Batman: With the ones beneath our feet.

Joker: Don't make me laugh! HAHAHAHA!

Batman: After the riots, I thought that they would throw this place down. But when they didn't and Strange was announced Warden, I though that some inmated would escape to here.

Joker: But If you blow us up, I'll be back and you'll be dead.

Batman: I'm counting on it.

Batman gets out of a window and escapes to the Arkham Batcave.

Batman: Computer, blow this place sky high.

Computer: Affirmative. Explosion in 3...2...1...

Arkham Asylum is blown to pieces.

However, Batman escaped the island in the Batboat.

Batman goes to the Batcave. There, he finds the corpes of all the Bat-family members.

Batman: NO. -cough!-.

The family members come to life as zombies.

Batman: No... stay away from me...

Bat-family: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!

Batman: Ahhh...!

Joker: Hehehehehe, a little gift from our old friend Scarecrow.

Batman: I'll never let you win...  
Batman stands up.  
Batman: ... NEVER!

Batman punches Joker. He grips from a rock in the cave's floor.

Joker: H-help... me! D-don't let me die like you did in... Arkham... City!

Batman: Before you mentioned that you can't die... this will only hurt you... a lot...

Batman steps on Joker's hand. He falls to the dark ends of the cave. As he falls, Joker laughs.

EPILOGUE:

Later, Batman goes to check Joker's body. The body is nowhere to be seen.

Hmph. This is how things always finish between Joker and me, unresolved. And after all the people he killed, I am now the last knight of Gotham City.

Coming next month , BATMAN ARKHAM ( Volume 2 ) : THE COURT OF OWLS !


End file.
